SCHIZO

Four

"Please, Ms. Dunn, let me come home with you two. I want to know Ashley's okay. Please!" Luke begs.

"Luke, is it?" Mom asks him. He nods and she continues, "Luke, you're an extremely sweet boy and I couldn't thank you enough, but I really think you should go home."

Luke looks at me and licks his lips. He then looks at my mother and sighs. "Yes, Ms. Dunn. But, do you think I can come over later tonight?"

Mom sighs and looks at me, then Luke, then back to me. "You have his number, Ashley?" She asks.

I think for a moment. Do I? I don't remember Luke ever giving it to me. "Uh, I d-"

"She does," Luke cuts me off. I give him a confused look but he shrugs it off.

"Well, I'll tell Ashley to text you. Thank you Luke." Mom turns away and I take this as the chance to quickly thank Luke.

"I put my number into your phone while you were passed out. I used it to call your mom, so I thought I might as well. If you don't want it you can delete it." He says.

I smile. "No, Luke, it's great. I don't mind, really. Thank you again, how could I repay you?"

"You don't need to.."

"But I do," I insist. Luke sighs and smiles a mischievous smile.

"Well," he smirks, "I believe the perfect way to repay me is to go on a date with me?"

I could feel the blood rush out of my face. He wants to go on a date with me?

"Today is Wednesday. We could go out and spend the day together Friday after group therapy. Please?"

My heartbeats quickens and the blood still hasn't returned to my face. I can't tell whether I should say okay or not. Would mom like it? Is he just doing this because he feels bad for me? So many questions were running through my mind it was hard to stay focused on an answer. I want to, I guess, but I don't know if I should.

I look at Luke and his blue eyes are big and begging. He looked just like a puppy. He fiddled with his lip ring by using his teeth and I was mesmerized.

"Ashley? You okay?" He saves me from total embarrassment before it's possible.

"Uh, I don't know, Luke." I could see the immediate worry in his face. "No, no, no, Not as in I'm not okay, Luke. I meant 'I don't know' as in I don't know if we should go on a date."
"Why not?" He pouts. Oh god, please don't pout.
"Luke I just don't know if my mom would be okay with it."
He sighs and nods. "Text me, okay?" After assuring him I will, I can feel him watch me as I was to my car.
I knew Luke was watching the car, and mom was watching me buckle. I turn to her with a questioning look.
"What?" I ask.
"What'd you two talk about?" She questions.
"I just thanked him and he told me to text him." I shrugged. I looked away because her glare was getting too intense. A moment after I look away we begin to pull out of the parking lot. I look out my window.
There he is. Luke Hemmings, still outside the hospital waving to us. I smile and give him a small wave before we take off on the main road.

-

I felt a buzz in my pocket the moment we walk into the house. I didn't pull my phone out immediately and it was followed two other texts. I sigh and pull my iPhone out and I see three texts from Luke.
From: Luke Hemmings
Did you get home okay?
From: Luke Hemmings
Ashley?
From: Luke Henmings
Please reply so I don't go crazy.
I smile at his concern and type a reply quickly, not wanting his worry to grow.
To: Luke Hemmings
We are home in one piece. Thanks, Luke.
Send. Within seconds, as if he was waiting right by his phone, Luke's name lit up on my screen.
From: Luke Hemmings
Of course. Would your mom mind if I came over?
To: Luke Hemmings
Now? Or after we have dinner?
From: Luke Hemmings
Whenever. Anything works for me, but I think my mother wants me to have dinner at home for once in like, a week in a half.
To: Luke Hemmings
I'll tell her after dinner. I'll text you when we finish it. Thanks, Luke.
From: Luke Hemmings
Always.
I smile and practically run down the stairs to mom.
"Luke is coming over after dinner," I state.
She looks me up and down and nods.
"Give him out address after dinner. I'm okay with it."
"Thank you mom."

I rush to answer the door when I hear three loud knocks. Luke. It has to be Luke. I open the door quickly and there he was. He had a bright white smile on his face and his blonde hair was up in its usual quiff.
"Hello, Ashley. Feeling okay?" He asks politely.
"Yes, Luke. Thank you."
I realize he's still standing outside and I move out of the way to invite him in.
"Sorry it's not much," I begin, "we aren't the richest family in the world, but it's plenty of space for me and mom, I suppose."
Luke is hesitant before asking the question, "what about your father? Any siblings?"
I open my mouth to answer but my mom comes out of the kitchen to greet Luke. I can't answer with her in earshot.
"Thank you for having me over, Mrs. Dunn," Luke smiles. I can tell she's impressed with Luke's manners.
"Of course, Luke. Thank you for coming. We already ate dinner, but if you want anything the kitchen is right there. The television out here is free for use. I'll be in my room upstairs if you need anything."
With that, we were left alone.
"What do you want to do?" I ask him.
He looks around then asks, "where's your room?"
I led him up the old creaky stairs and pointed out my mothers room and the upstairs bathroom.
"And this," I say, "is my room." I open up the door and he walks into the room.
"So this is where Ashley Marie Dunn spends most of her nights.." He says.
My room is lined with nearly ceiling-high bookcases. In fact, my bed doesn't even so next to a wall, it's at the end of the long room against a bookcase. I love my bedroom. The ugly walls that were painted yellow when I was four are now covered with many books. It was like my own little library and I loved it.
Luke didn't seem much into talking anymore, instead he was tracing his finger over the spines of several books.
"Out of all the stories I've seen here today, you only have one Shakespearean play." He points out.
"That's a bad thing why?" I question.
"It's Romeo and Juliet. Out of all the Shakespeare plays you could've owned, the only one is Romeo and Juliet."
"It's a good play!" I defend my favorite play.
"I never said it wasn't, did I?"
"Well, no, but--"
"It's just so cliché, you know? It really is a good play, it's just that everyone knows it."
I sigh. "It's well known for a reason, Luke. It's the greatest love story of all time. I love love, and they're totally and utterly head-over-heels for each other."
He didn't reply. Instead he pulled out one of my biggest nightmares: my 5th grade yearbook. He jumps on my bed and opens up the the 5th grade section, running down the last names until he got to D.
"Dryer, Dryson, ah!--Dunn."
"No!" I protest, trying to grab the book from his grasp. Luke fell on his bam while pointing out what I had as a 5th grader.
"You were so tiny! Look at your hair it's so short! What an outfit, I must say," Luke laughs.
"Luke! Stop it! Give that back right now!" I scream. Luke bursts into laughter.
When I finally nab the book I place it back in its rightful place. Luke way laying on his back on the bed. I laid next to him.
"I bet there's a better one." He says.
"A better what?" I ask, sitting up.
"Love story. Before you were saying Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story of all time, remember? I bet there's a better love story."
"You tell me when you find that love story, Luke, and I'll be happy to embrace it."
And that's how the night went. Luke and I sitting on my bed cross-legged opposite of each other, playing card games and just talking. It was an entertaining night, although it may sound boring.
"Luke, I think you better start heading home. It's getting late." Mom says as she opens the door to my room.
"But mom we're in the middle of a really good game of Go Fish!" I whine. She gives me the look and I sigh.
"Yes, Mrs. Dunn, I'll leave in a moment." Luke says. Mom nods and leaves the room.
Luke looks at me and places his cards down. He picks himself up off the bed and I follow him, walking him downstairs and to the door.
"About that date, Ashley, I don't think it's needed. This was better than any kind of movie or ice cream."
I rock back and forth on my feet smiling.
"Thanks for a great night, Luke. I mean it."
Luke smiles and lingers his fingers on mine.
"Always."
He leaves a quick kiss on my cheek, and leaves without saying another word at all.